Soulmate
by EVERLARK.ALWAYS
Summary: Hunger games AU. At 18 every girl has the ability to seek out her Future husband and maybe even her Soulmate in an official ceremony. Katniss has just tured 18, Who will Katniss pick, where will this take her? Will everyone accept her choice?
1. Introduction

**Hi thanks for choosing my story, Please bare with the introduction, it's the best way I can think of to introduce the AU I am trying to create so you understand the rules of this Fanfic, all reviews are very much appreciated and I'm open to any suggestions as to what you want to see happen as the story develops.**

**PS. Probably not going to be a Fanfic for Team Gale fans, so please don't hate me if you like Gale but not the Gale in this story.**

The Declaration of Unions

It is a well known fact that when a girl turns eighteen her heart will guide her to her future husband. To ensure that she is guided to the best possible match, the Capital has arranged for all unions to be witnessed by the nation with nothing but the heart to guide each potential bride to her groom.

So it is decreed that there shall be a marital ceremony every Sunday in each of the twelve districts. Each ceremony will see the gathering of all the eligible males within the district in to the arena. Then the girls who have become eligible within the last week will be lead out, with ears and eyes covered so as to ensure she is lead with nothing but her heart to select a partner.

Selection is made by girl placing her palm flat against her chosen partner's chest; once her decision has been made she must wait for the chosen man to either accept her or reject her.

Should the man choose to accept her he will seal the deal with a kiss and remove the blindfold, sealing them in a binding union.

However, if the man chooses to reject the girl's offer of marriage, he must remove her hand and step back.

If the girl is rejected then she has two more chances to choose a husband or face waiting another year for the chance to try again. Furthermore should any men or women remain unmarried at the age of twenty-one they will then be entered into the annual hunger games where they will compete with others of the same age from other districts for a mixed district union. The couple will then return to the man's district to live out their lives as a married couple.

A marriage witnessed by the nation is the only legal and recognised union and is final, except for the witnessed discovery of a Soulmate. Soulmates are revealed at the first kiss and marked by the golden tread of light that will link the couple for the duration of the kiss before fading out of sight. There is no other way to prove a Soulmate and so in order to attempt a Soulmate union they must call a divorce ceremony to be witness by the nation. Should the Soulmates be discovered all previous unions are dissolved and the Soulmates bound unbreakable.

All the above is declared and made law by the Capital and President Snow.


	2. Chapter 1

"Happy Birthday!"

I groan inwardly as I'm tackled by my bubbly baby sister as I come down for breakfast. I'm normally the first up as I need to go hunting early to feed my family, however today it seems that my sister Prim has other ideas. Today is my 18th birthday and so Prim has gotten up early to make me a surprise birthday breakfast: a cheese bun and some of the cheese prim makes herself from the milk from her goat Lady.

"I traded some of my own cheese to get the cheese bun from the baker yesterday" she grins and I can't help but smile.

"Thanks little duck, you know they are my favourite" I hug her tight to me before sitting down to eat.

I let Prim chat happily about everything and nothing while I silently dread the meaning of my 18th birthday. Today I come of age and it just happens to be a Saturday today which means tomorrow I will be expected to participate in my first union ceremony. Tomorrow I will have to choose a husband without knowing who he is or what he is like or even if he will accept me and all because the Capital wants to control us.

The declaration of Unions was signed shortly after the great rebellion which left many districts severely under populated. The whole aim is to force every young person to marry and have children in the most humiliating way possible. They claim that the declaration is to help us and protect us from unwanted marriages but that has nothing to do with it. This gathers all the young men together so the government can monitor the strength of the population. It's also designed to put women in their place. The great rebellion was lead by a strong female leader, Mary Carter, and under the Declaration of Unions and other following laws, women are told to obey their husbands and be good little wives. This is why the man has the final say in the union and why many women throughout the district regularly sport downturned faces.

But that's not everything. There is no written law but everyone knows you are expected to have at least two children. Couples who fail to have their first child by their third anniversary are visited by "concerned" capital doctors who are just there to "help" the couples have children.

I have personally never wanted to marry nor have kids. My mother was one of the lucky few who found her Soulmate and when he died in a mining disaster she died with him, leaving me at just 11 to raise my sister and take over as head of the family. For me I only see love as pain and I don't believe children should be brought into this world to suffer like my sister and I. No child deserves to go to bed hungry and to have to fight every day just to survive.

"What time are you meeting Gale?" Prim asks innocently.

Gale's name snaps me out of my thought of the Capital and back to the present. I look up at our small clock above the fireplace, nearly 7. I'm late. I grab my coat and start pulling on my boots.

"Sorry Prim, I should have left 15 minutes ago" I kiss her forehead and call out as I go out the door, "I'll see you later, thanks for the cheese bun, love you!" Then I'm out before she can respond.

I run through the seam to the meadow and pause just a moment to check that the fence is off before I duck under and race to our meeting spot. When I get there I see Gale waiting there, his eyes fixed on the tree ahead of him with his back to me. His shoulders are tense and I know he knows I'm here and that he's angry I'm late. I stand there for a moment, waiting for him to acknowledge that I'm here, then just as I'm about to speak he cuts me off.

"You're late" he spits as he turns he head to me. "You know what that means? It means we have wasted 15 minutes we could have spent hunting." He is on his feet now and shouting, he raises his hand and I flinch away.

"I'm sorry" I hastily say raising my hands to block the coming blow. "Prim planned a birthday breakfast and I lost track of time." I wait for the blow, but when it doesn't come I open my eyes to see Gale smiling, hands down and relaxed.

"Of course it is, how could I forget?" he says with almost a laugh. I lower my hands and look at him. I can feel the confusion on my face but as he continues I understand the change in mood.

"It's a big day for us tomorrow, one we have both been waiting for a long time now. Let's hunt now and maybe if we get a big enough haul today we can convince the baker to throw in a cake." He puts his arm around my shoulder and leads me away to hunt.

Gale is by far the most eligible man in the entire seam. He has a steady job in the mines Monday to Friday, he can hunt and he is far from unattractive. However he also has a temper and a strong belief that women should be obedient wives, like they try to teach us at school. He has been selected by many hopeful girls who don't really know him, though he rejected everyone of them, as he believes we are meant to be. Every time he is chosen he will tell me he rejects them as he knows we are Soulmates and will wait for me. I fear he is right, that tomorrow when I am lead into the arena I will be lead to him and bound to him.

Gale is my best friend but there is a part of him that scares me. I have often heard of and seen the women who make bad matches to controlling men and how they beat their wives into submission. I see them broken spirited around the district and broken bodied in my mum's surgery; even the strongest women break eventually and they are trapped by the Declaration of Unions. The only way out are a Soulmate and less than 1 in 100 find their Soulmates.

Gale can be a great friend and probably a nice husband, but his temper can arise out something as simple as somebody dropping something or him not getting his way. I shudder to think of what being married to somebody who can blow up at any given moment.

We hunt in silence for the rest of the morning. We get an average haul of 3 squirrels and 4 rabbits.

"Doesn't look like we have enough for the cake" Gale says as we head back to the fence. "Maybe if you were on time we might have had enough but it's too late for what ifs. You will just have to go without." Gale says this like it is a punishment for my lateness but to be honest I don't care for cakes, they are a luxury that we shouldn't be wasting trade on.

We decide that we should have a rabbit each, trade the other 2 with Greasy Sae, and the 3 squirrels with the baker for two loafs, one each. We stop by the hob first and I'm surprised to find that Sae remembered by birthday and even more so that she got me anything. I have always seen her as a grandmotherly figure, having never had any grandparents myself and after my father died she helped me get through it, helping me with trades at the hob when I first started hunting alone and I'm sure she has always given me better trades than I deserve.

After we traded the rabbits Gale is distracted by some guys from the mines and Sae takes the opportunity to take me to the side.

"Come here girly, you didn't think I had forgotten what today is do you?" She asks as she leads me to a corner behind her stall. "Here I want you to have this, it was mine on my union day and it brought me good luck in finding my Albert" she drops something in my hand and open it to find a pin of a mockingjay.

"Sae I can't take this, this is too much" I try to give it back but she just closes my fingers around it again.

"Nonsense, it's been my luck to have all boys, who have then had all boys, and I want you to have it. You know you're as good as one of mine to me" she tightens her arm around my shoulder embracing me to her side.

"And like I said, it will bring you luck tomorrow and you're going to need it" she sneaks a look over at Gale before dropping her voice to a whisper. "I know Hawthorne over there thinks you're as good as his, but you listen to me, you can do a lot better than him. You're a good girl and deserve an equally good husband. Just follow that heart of yours and aim strait." She gives me one last squeeze before letting me go and waving me off. Gale returns and we head to the bakery.

Before we go to the back door to trade we take a quick look in the front for any signs of the baker's witch of a wife, but seeing that the coast is clear we head to the back and knock. The door opens to reveal the baker's youngest son Peeta. I look him in the eye and for a moment I'm taken back by the vivid blue of his eyes that seem to draw me in.

I'm taken back to when I was eleven. My father had just died and with my mom basically dead herself we were slowly starving to death. I remember how I had desperately tried to trade some of Prim's baby clothes. There were no takers in the seam or the merchant side of town. My finally hope at the time seemed to be looking through trash cans for anything to keep us alive only to find them empty and on top of all this I was chased away but the bakers witch of the wife. I then lost all hope. I was ready to die right then and there in the bakers back yard under their tree when Peeta came and threw me 2 loafs of bread. I gathered my strength and ran home. We had a quarter of that loaf for supper that night and saved the rest for later. It was the first time in a long time that Prim and I went to bed without having an empty stomach. The next day when I searched him out in the schoolyard he had a lone welt on the side of his face which I could only come up with one way that had gotten there: his mother. When my shyness returned and my eyes turned downward I noticed a dandelion in the grass. I picked up and slowly smiled, the brightness of the weed somehow lifting my spirits slightly.

He saved me that day, and not just me but my mom and sister too. He showed me that there was still hope and he gave me the strength to continue. Without him I never would've remembered the bow my father always left hidden in the woods for when he himself went hunting and that I could also learn to hunt and support my family as he had once done for us.

"Katniss!" Gale's voice brought me back to the present, "we are done here, come on!" He grabs my arm painfully and leads me away, practically dragging me back towards the seam. When we are out of the hearing range of the townies he turns to me and pulls me to a stop causing me to yelp quietly in pain. "What the HELL was that back there!?" he growls.

"I... err... I..." I stammer, shaken by his anger, "I zoned out ... I'm-"

"You zoned out? Is that what you call that? You were practically drooling over BREAD BOY! A townie of all people!" he shouts "You are Mine! You understand?" He back hands me to drive home his point. I stagger back clutching my face and then he is reaching for me again. He tilts my head back and I see him lowering his head to kiss me, as he has before when he get jealous to prove his point even more. I react instinctively and push him away, twisting my head out of his grip and tipping back in the process falling back onto the ground.

"What the hell?!" he roars and reaches for me but I crawl back scrabbling for my feet.

"I'm not yours yet!" I shout back with more anger than I knew I had in me, "and you might want to be careful Gale. If we are Soulmates you don't want to go kissing me now I'm 18, until the arena." At this I turn and run at full speed home.

"Katniss!" I hear him shout behind me, "Get back here!" I ignore him and run even faster.

Part of me fears what will happen tomorrow if I do pick him. More than likely he will still be angry and a part of me doesn't want to admit this to myself but an angry Gale frightens me almost more than starving to death.


	3. Chapter 2

**First of all I would just like to say a BIG BIG BIG THANK YOU! To everyone who has reviewed, I have never has so many and so many wonderful reviews, it really means a lot to me and to say thank you I will update as often as I possibly can THANKYOU!**

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I run as fast as I can towards the seam but with every step it seems to be getting further and further away. I hear Gale's voice behind me shouting my name. He's catching up and I push myself to run even faster. I turn my head back once again and I can't catch a sight of Gale anywhere. I slow to stop and turn back around only to bump into a solid mass. Gale.

"You can't escape me Katniss. We're meant to be together. You're going to choose me and you know it." He reaches for me but at the last moment I duck down an alley to the left of us. "Katniss" he hisses calmly which scares me more than his shouts.

The alley gets darker and darker as I run though it, it has to end soon, it just has too. It's so dark now I can barely see an arm's length in front of me.

CRASH!

I slam into a wall full speed. Somehow it doesn't hurt but now I'm trapped and blind in a dark alley somewhere in the seam. I can't hear Gale anymore so I'm hoping maybe he has left me alone. I put my hand out in front of me and try and feel my way back. My hand finds something firm and warm, a chest? I try and pull my hand back but hands grab me and lips crash down onto mine. I struggle but whoever it is they are too strong. He finally pulls away and my blindfold is removed to reveal Gale standing before me.

"I told you, you're mine!" he leans towards me; his eyes darkening even more so than the deep grey so like my own. I struggle and try to free myself from his iron grip.

"No!" I scream.

"Katniss?" I wake with a start and look around me. I'm wrapped tight in my blanket, the sun is peaking through the window and Prim is kneeling next to my bed looking scared. "Katniss are you ok? Did you have a nightmare?" she asks concerned.

I nod and pull her into my arms. I remember what really happened after I ran from Gale. I ran all the way home without stopping. Gale called after me but I didn't stop and he also didn't come after me. I didn't say anything to mom or Prim when I got home. We just had dinner, I showed mom and Prim my pin from Sae, and mom gave me her present.

It was a new blue dress for my union ceremony tomorrow. I was moved by this gesture of affection so rarely shown by my mother that I embraced her for the first time in years and thanked her before I went to bed.

Now I'm lying here with Prim in my arms, the sun warming my face and reminding me that today I am to choose a husband. For a moment I wonder what would happen if I don't pick Gale today, what if I pick someone else? This thought brings a whole new flood of fears to my mind. What if they are worse than Gale? And who else would accept me?

My mom interrupts my panicked thoughts before Prim can notice.

"Come on girls we have to get ready, they are expecting you at the arena by 11 and you need to get ready." At this Prim bounces out of the bed, squealing a bit with excitement. She is so innocent about the world that we live in that she is thrilled at the thought of me getting married. She thinks it will bring me happiness and that I will find a loving husband and have cute babies. But she doesn't realise how much I dread it, I mean how could she? She is just 14 and has a crush on Gale's younger brother Rory, who thankfully is nothing like his brother.

I get ready, silently brooding on what will happen today. I wash in the bath my mom has run me, trying to scrub as much dirt from my skin as possible, scrubbing till my skin is pink and tingling. I then use my mom's old razor to remove any "unwanted" hair from my legs and under arms as my mom instructs to appeal to my future husband; I shudder at the thought of Gale's forceful hands all over me or some stranger groping me because he has the right as my husband and I can't refuse him.

Once I'm done I get dressed in my new blue dress. It fits perfectly and exaggerates curves I don't have. My mom then sits me down and braids my hair.

"I know you're nervous," my mom says softly as she works, "I was too, I didn't know who I would choose or if he would accept me, but the heart works in mysterious ways, you just have to follow it." My mom finishes my hair and I turn to embrace her for the second time in two days. "I know I haven't always been the mom you and Prim deserve, but I do love you" she whispers in my ear.

"I love you too mom," I can feel tears in my eyes as she squeezes me a little.

"I'm going to miss you," she whispers softly, reminding me that if I choose a husband then I will have to move in with him tonight and tomorrow we will be assigned a house where we will live together. We stand there for a moment in silence until the clock rings the half hour bell and we pull apart to leave for the arena. It's only then I realise my mom has been crying.

The arena is on the other side of town, as far away from the seam and mines as possible. Mom and I walk silently while Prim babbles on about how exciting today is and trying to guess which boy I will pick. As we get closer we can see the stream of boys going into the main part of the arena. Some of them see me and call out things like "hey pretty you can pick me any day" or "hey guys, looks like we have a hot one this week even if she is from the seam"

I just blush and look away. I know I'm nothing much and I don't need their taunts to make me any more nervous than I already am.

We go in though the girls entrance when my mom and Prim are lead to the family viewing area where the families of the girls go to watch their daughters choose a husband. I am lead away to another room where 2 other girls are waiting seeing as there's only 3 of us this week, another girl from the seam who looks as nervous as me whose name I do not know, and a girl from town I do know. She is one of the richest girls in town and one of the nastiest as well, Rosa Pyres. She is babbling on about some merchant boy she is sure she is going to marry with blue eyes and blond hair. I didn't catch his name but I don't care for I know the last person I'm going to pick is a merchant.

District 12's capital attendant Effie Trinket comes bustling in. This year she has a hot pink wig on and way too much make up (as usual). She goes on and on about the procedure that we have been taught at school from day one telling us to wait to be accepted and not to take of our blindfolds off at any point. Then she gives us our order. The other seam girl, Suzie I think her name is, is first, as her birthday was last Monday. Then it's me, my birthday being yesterday and lastly Rosa, who turned 18 today. She isn't happy about being last but Effie manages to get her to come around by saying that the last girl of a group is always more remembered. Then Suzie is called in and all I can do is wait.

It seems to take forever and just moments at the same time but all too soon my name is called. They lead me down a long corridor to a room with the platform that will raise me up into the arena. There are a couple of assistants who tie my blindfold and secure the head phones over my ears, being careful not to mess my hair up, the capital loves a pretty bride of course. They then lead me over to the platform and a voice comes out of the headset.

"Ok sweetheart, I'm going to guide you through this so everything goes as smoothly as possible, just do everything I say and everything will be great" the slurred voice of district 12's marriage counsellor Haymitch Abernathy comes though the head set. He deals with everything unions related and so he oversees every union.

"Ok now the platform will rise in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ..."

I feel the platform below me rise and I fight to keep my escalating panic out of my face. The platform then comes to a stop and I know I'm in the arena surrounded by hundreds of boys, one of which I'm about to choose.

"Ok now sweetheart, I need you to try and clear your mind and try and listen with your heart. You should see lights all around you when you have, so give me a nod to let me know you're ready." His voice cuts out and I try and clear my mind. The effect is almost instant, all around me are lights that shine like the stars at night, yet some are more beautiful. The beauty is so great I barely manage to remember to nod to Haymitch.

"Ok now I want you to circle round until you see the brightest light then stop facing the light and don't move even if the light moves."

I do as he says circling till I'm nearly blinded by a light so bright, I raise my hand instinctively but then I remember my eyes are closed, so I lower it and stand still waiting for my next instruction. It takes a few minutes and the light both moves to the left and closer.

"Right sweetheart, the boys have been moved into 10 groups of 5 so you turn to face the light again" I turn to the left so I'm lined up with the light once again. A few moments pass and the light moves to the right and closer again.

"Ok you're nearly there, I need you to raise your left hand with your palm facing out" I do as he says and try and fight the trembles in my arm.

"Ok it's all yours, just walk slowly forward toward the light until your hand finds him, and then wait for his reaction. Good luck." With that the voice cuts out and all I can hear is the pounding of my heart in my ears, the fear starts to kick in. This is it, the moment I select a husband and to be publicly rejected or accepted.

Slowly I manage to will myself to step towards to that bright light that glows more intense with every step I take. My fingers brush fabric and I hesitate a moment before placing my hand fully on the warm firm chest of the man I have chosen. I can feel his heart racing beneath my fingertips and know that he can see my trembles; time seems to have stopped as I wait what feels like eternity for a response while my head races with questions. Will he step away and reject me? Is it Gale? Who have I chosen?


	4. Chapter 3

**I would just like to say thank you to my new Beta Jumpthenfall, who has been helping me to get this story as close to perfect as possible, so thank you.**

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PPOV

I have been waiting for today since I was 5 years old. Today is the day Katniss Everdeen chooses her husband.

I have never had much reason to hope she would pick me, wherever she goes Hawthorne is there to warn off any guy that gets to close. He has warned me off a few times before just for looking too often. But yesterday she gave me the most hope I have ever had, maybe it's misplaced and will just end in disappointment, but I can't help it. The way she looked at me yesterday, like she had never really seen me before. It was probably nothing.

I'm now standing in the arena among the other boys hoping to be chosen today. A girl called Suzie has just found her match in a guy from the seam and next it's Katniss. My heart is racing, my palms sweaty, and my eyes are focused on the hole in the ground where she will rise into the arena.

"Good luck Peeta" Harry, one of my closest friends says while he slaps me on the back. "I know you have had your eye on Everdeen for a while now so let's hope it goes well," he looks around and chuckles. "But you know if you do get her it might be safer to reject her than face Hawthorne over there," he teases.

"If she chooses me I would fight every guy in this room for her, and you know full well that I could take Hawthorne if I had to." I say with more confidence than I feel. I think Harry wants to say more but I can see Katniss rising now and he probably realised I'm not interested now.

She rises up facing away from me, so for some stupid reason my heart sinks; they always face the same way then turn to face the one they choose. Katniss is turning now; slowly looking for the right person. She seems to be moving in slow motion, that or I'm really impatient today. As she faces me she raises her hand as if to block a blinding light, it's something I have seen a few times on reruns of unions. They normally mean one of two things, one the girl is over acting or two she has found her soulmate.I can't help but hope it's the latter and it's me she has chosen.

Now she has stopped turning and we are broken up into 10 groups of 5, made up of the boys in front of Katniss. I look at the boys around me in my group. There is Harry and I along with three boys from the seam. I'm about to look back at Katniss when I recognise one of the boys, Gale. My heart sinks again, she is looking for him.

While I have been distracted Katniss has picked our group. We are then spread out and moved forward. I'm now next to Gale and I can see the smug look on his face, he knows she is coming for him and is confident that everything will work out in his favour. She is moving forward now with her hand stretched out in front of her. I can't watch so I drop my head and close my eyes.

Suddenly I feel something brush my chest, my head comes up and there in front of me is Katniss, the girl of my dreams has actually chosen me. I just stare at her for a moment. She is trembling. She must be terrified, she is always in control and now her fate rests in the hands of someone she can't even see.

I then realise I'm standing there like a statue. I have to choose now, and without another moments hesitation I gently tilt her head and bring mine down to kiss her and make her my wife.

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KPOV

I don't know how long I stand there waiting for him to make a move. Seconds, minutes, hours, I don't know. I can feel my nerves getting the better of me; he is going to reject me, I just know it. Maybe I should take my hand away. Why hasn't Haymitch said anything? Maybe it has only been a few moments and it just feels like longer.

Then without warning a gentle hand tilts my head up and soft lips press to mine. My mind goes blank, consumed in the golden light that floods over me; it fills me and completes me. For just that moment I don't care who he is. He is the one I chose and he has chosen me. All too soon it's over. I feel him pull away and I can't help but long for more.

My head phones are removed and the first thing I hear is applause and calls of congratulations. Then my blind fold loosens and my nerves skyrocket once again. I'm about to see my husband for the very first time. The blindfold drops and I blink to adjust my eyes. Peeta Mellark is standing there before me with a shy smile on his face. I stare back completely amazed, partly because I was led to him, the boy with the bread, but also because he accepted me. I know a few weeks back he was picked and refused the girl and that on his very first union ceremony he was picked and refused that time as well.

But he had accepted me, just a girl from the seam. I feel a surge of warmth sweep over me at the thought of being chosen by someone sweet like Peeta and it brings a small smile to my lips in return to his. It's only then that I realise they are announcing our marriage.

"... Mr. and Mrs. Mellark, bound as Soulmates before this here audience." Haymitch's voice announces throughout the arena.

I hear the crowd in the arena applause again but all I can think is one words: Soulmate. Peeta is my Soulmate; we are bound unbreakably together until we die. At this thought my heart races a little faster and I notice my hand is still on his chest and just how close we are. His arms are still wrapped around me from our kiss while my other hand rests on his shoulder and our faces are just inches apart. I think he is about to kiss me again and my heart flutters at the thought, but then he looks away and I realise we are being ushered to the edge of the arena where Suzie and her husband are waiting.

The boys are now being rearranged, ready for Rosa's turn to pick her husband. Peeta turns to me, blocking my view of the others, clearly after my attention and I can't deny him. I find myself getting lost in those deep blue eyes once again.

"You have such blue eyes" I think to myself.

"Thanks" he chuckles. I blush as I realise I spoke my thoughts out loud.

"I can't believe you chose me," he seems to say more to himself then to me as he runs a hand though his golden locks.

"Why me?" I ask, confused as to why he would settle for a 'seam slut' when he could have had anyone. "You reject all those girls before, why me?" I see a little confusion pass his face before he smile softly and brushes a hand along my cheek.

"Because I love you, I always have. Ever since we were five years old." he whispers just loud enough for me to hear, his hand still cupping my face.

"The bread?" I ask knowing he understands what I mean.

"I couldn't stand there and watch you die, I only wish I had given it to you instead of throwing it, maybe"... he sighs ... "maybe if I had we could have gotten to know each other better, been friends before all this..." He mumbles on but I stop listening.

He loves me. Me of all people. A girl from the poorest part of the poorest district who hunts in the woods everyday just so she can survive. A girl who he's never talked and had no indication that I knew he even existed (oh but I did). I don't know why but this means the world to me. I never thought I cared that much for love. Gale said he loved me, but I never loved him like that. Do I love Peeta? I don't know. I'm defiantly attracted to him, it's hard not to be, but love seems too strong just now, this is the first time I have even spoken to him.

"I just don't want to disappoint you," he finishes softly and I stare at him a moment before my body takes over, pushing my lips to his without me even thinking about it. I just feel the need to kiss him, this boy who saved my life and silently loved me from afar, my husband. The moment I do it I fear I over stepped the mark. I don't know Peeta at all. At school we were taught that girls should wait for their husbands to come to them and most boys believe that women should be there when they want and only when they want. If Peeta is one of those, he doesn't stop me or object; in fact his arms wrap around me again and pull me closer to him till we are pressed against each other.

"Hey Peeta! Put her down and watch out!" a merchant boy calls from behind. Peeta breaks away with a quiet sound somewhere between a growl and a moan that I'm not sure I really heard but I don't have long to think about it as I see what is going on.

I look around Peeta to see that the merchant girl, Rosa, has walked though a gap in the last 5 boys and is walking strait towards Peeta, my Peeta, with her hand out stretched ready to claim him. I go to move around Peeta and defend what is mine, but Peeta stops me, blocking me with his arm and protectively moving in front of me. Rosa is here now and places her hand possessively on Peeta's chest. I go to remove it forcefully, however Peeta stops me again. He then proceeds to remove her hand and step back with me, actively rejecting her.

"What do you mean invalid selection?" Rosa asks, clearly talking to Haymitch who must be telling her through the headset that Peeta is taken. "If he is married, why is he in here? I know what I want and it's him!"

She steps forward again placing her hand on Peeta's chest once more. Peeta doesn't hesitate to remove her hand again, stepping back further and letting me come round to his side where I am able to place my hand over his heart claiming him as mine. He brings his hand up to cover mine and holds it in place.

"This is ridicules. I know what my heart is telling me and its saying him, I want him!" at this she removes her headset and blindfold, throwing them to one side before looking at me and Peeta.

"Rosa Pyres, you are disqualified from this union ceremony for removing you blindfold. You will therefore have to wait another year before you can partake in another union ceremony," Haymitch's voice echoes above us.

"Peeta what are you doing? Get away from that seam whore! We are meant to be together, we are Soulmates!" she screams at Peeta and me while and advancing towards us. I move to confront her but Peeta holds me firm against him, as if he fears he will lose me if he lets go.

"No Rosa," he says calmly, "Katniss is my wife and I won't stand for anyone insulting her. I am not your soulmate, I-"

"That's it!" she interrupts him with a sudden squeal. "I call a divorce ceremony!" she shoots me a smug smile that I can't help but return knowing Haymitch's response before he gives it.

"Request denied, Peeta and Katniss Mellark were bound as Soulmates before this audience," Haymitch announces with smugness evident in his voice. I smile and seek to prove the point further. I press my body to Peeta's side and as he looks at me I rise on tip toes to kiss him. He kisses me back and the crowd applauds much to Rosa's anger.

I hear a shriek of anger and see Rosa running at us, her hands out stretched and nails poised like claws ready to attack.

"NO!" Peeta says loud and firm without shouting, blocking her oncoming attack with his arm before she could reach me, at the same time holding me firm so I couldn't get her.

"Peeta let go," I growl though gritted teeth just loud enough for Peeta to hear.

"I'm not going to let you fight her over me" he whispers softly to me.

"Don't you think I could take her?" I argue, glaring at Rosa who circling a little way away trying to see how to get at me with Peeta in the way. Peeta chuckles and I look up at him for an explanation.

"I have every faith that you could take her, that's why I'm holding you back, don't want my new bride facing murder charges" he murmurs into my ear. I smile at this and visibly relax, which is probably why the peacekeepers choose now to finally intervene. It seems they were holding back to see if the capital could get any more entertainment from us. They escort Rosa out of the arena, and then Peeta and I, along with Suzie and her new husband, are lead to the signing room where we sign the marital document that will be stored as a physical record of our union. It's also the first time I will sign my name as 'Mrs. Katniss Mellark'.


	5. Chapter 4

After we sign our contract, Effie leads us out of the main entrance to present us to district 12 as newlywed couples. Peeta holds my hand tight and beams like he is the happiest man in the world and I can't help but smile with him too. The doors to the main entrance open and a small but warm crowd greets us. A few faces stand out to me. Madge, my closet female friend, waves while standing next to her husband John. They were married six months ago and are now expecting their first baby. I also see Sae with some of the other traders from the hob. She catches me eye, then points to my pin and gives me a thumbs ups, showing her approval of my new husband.

I didn't get a chance to see any more faces before I'm knocked back by Prim who squeezes me tightly before letting go and turning to Peeta.

"I'm so happy you two are married," she beams at him, "and Soul mates. It's so exciting..."she babbles on to Peeta who just smiles politely and agrees with her when she pauses for breath. I see my Mom hanging back and offer her a small smile. She smiles a small smile and comes forward to embrace me.

"I'm happy for you," she whispers in my ear so Peeta can't hear. "I knew his father and Peeta is just like him, he will be a good husband to you. He's a good boy." She pulls back and turns to Peeta and hugs him while giving her blessing to our union.

With our presentation over, we all head towards town as Peeta wants to introduce me to his family as his new wife. I remember now that I am meant to stay with Peeta tonight in his home before we are given our new home as husband and wife. This realisation brings new fears as I worry about what kind of reception I will have. The baker has always been kind, but then I wasn't married to his son. I know his wife has never liked me and most likely never will.

Peeta seems to sense my fear as he slows us down a step or two behind my Mom and sister and asks in a quiet voice "Are you okay? You seem a little tense" while gently squeezing my hand.

"Yeah" I try and smile "just a little nervous."

"Try not to be" he reassures me. "I know my dad and brothers will love you" I feel myself relax at his words. "And Mom, well, let me just deal with Mom. It's just one night." And just like that my shoulders tense again with anxiety. We walk the rest of the journey in silence and all too soon we are standing outside the bakery.

"You're welcome to come in with us" Peeta says to my Mom and sister, letting go of my hand to loop his arm around my waist and pull me closer to him. I respond by wrapping my arm around him and resting my head on his shoulder. It seems strange how relaxed I am around Peeta already. Today was the first time I have ever really spoke to him and yet he makes me feel so safe and loved, it's like nothing could ever hurt me while I'm in Peeta's arms. Maybe it's the Soulmate bond but it feels like something I have felt for so long without even realising.

"Thank you Peeta, but I think it's best Prim and I get home and I don't think my presence will help" my Mom politely declines Peeta's offer and with a kiss to each of our cheeks and a hug from Prim they leave.

"Ready to meet your new family?" Peeta asks. I just nod and let Peeta steer me towards the bakery. He leads me inside and through the shop to the kitchen behind the store front where I see his father and two brothers with their wives waiting for us.

"Congratulations to you both" Peeta's father is the first to speak, coming forward to greet us and pulling us into an embrace. As he leans back he turns to me and says "Welcome to the family Katniss" warmly.

"Thank you Mr. Mellark" is all I can say. I'm taken back with surprise at his friendly welcome. I wonder what I ever thought could be unfriendly about the kind baker, who Peeta does as my mother suggested, take after.

"Please call me James, we are family now" he smiles and steps back to introduce his sons. "This is Michael, my oldest. His wife, Grace and this..." he now directs me to a young child clinging to Grace's legs, half hidden behind her skirt which is why I hadn't seen him before, "is Jack, my oldest grandson. He's four in a few weeks."

The chubby little boy hides his face in his Moms' skirt when I smile at him but even in the brief glimpse I caught of him I could see the family resemblance. All the Mellark men have varying shades of blond hair. There is Peeta's father with pale blond and grey specked among his curls. Then there is Michael with the darkest blond that is almost brown. Peeta's hair is golden where as his bother and nephew both have sandy blond hair. On top of the hair they all share a strong jaw line and the merchants trademark pale skin.

"We have a little girl too, Poppy, but she is asleep upstairs" Grace adds with a shy smile.

"And this scoundrel I'm sure you have heard of, Rye my second oldest" I almost laugh at his description of Rye who was a well-known prankster at school. "And this is his wife Charlotte, who as you can see is expecting their first baby" Peeta's father beams proudly as he introduces his family to me.

"I can't believe it. Baby bro has finally tied the knot. Thought he was going to reject every girl who tried to claim him" Rye play fully slaps Peeta on the back before turning to me. "But then he has always had his eye on you" he winks at me and I feel the blood rush to my face.

"Come on Rye, leave them alone. At least Katniss picked Peeta. I'm sure Charlotte missed" Michael teases and we all laugh, including Charlotte who seems to be trying to soothe Rye's wounded pride. I was so lost in the happy conversation and kind welcome that I forgot a key Mellark who was missing from the gathering till I hear her screech from behind me.

"WHAT IS THAT SEAM WHORE DONING IN MY KITCHEN?!"

We all spin around to face the scream and find Mrs. Mellark at the bottom of the stairs that lead up to the living area. Before anyone can respond we hear a baby's cry from upstairs.

"That will be Poppy. You go and check if she is ok" Michael says to his wife without taking his eyes off his mother. Grace takes Jack's hand, as he is silently crying as he clings to his mother's skirt, but seeing that he is too upset to walk, scoops him up into her arms and slowly edges towards the stairs.

"You should go with her Char, get some practice" Rye gives a weak laugh and pushes Charlotte after Grace and together they quickly make their way up the stairs without making eye contact with Mrs. Mellark.

It seems the Mellark brothers are all making efforts to shield their wives from their mother as Peeta seems to be trying to step in front me as if to protect me from his mother. But unlike the merchant girls I am use to wild animals and I'm not afraid to stand up to those who wish to intimidate me.

"WELL?" she demands looking between her husband and Peeta. "I want her out now!"

"She is my wife" Peeta says in a calm, firm voice, but judging by the trembles in his arm and the determination I see in his eyes, he is furious at how his mother is acting, though I can hardly say I'm surprised by her behaviour. "She picked me and I accepted her"

"Oh I know very well what you did today, don't think I didn't see how that slut made her way strait to the best match available in that dammed arena and how you being the worthless creature you are accepted her!" She rants barely pausing for breath. "After you rejected all those nice merchant girls, I thought maybe you were waiting for some decent girl but I see you are just as blind as you father. You should have followed your head instead of you-"

"That enough, Mom" Peeta says cutting her off. He lets go of me and advances on his mother. I stand there shocked by both his mother's accusations and Peeta's interruption. "I chose Katniss because I love her. She is my Soulmate, we are bound together and there is nothing you can do about it."

"We will see about that you ungrateful brat. Do you honestly think she loves you? The only thing she sees when she looks at you is a meal ticket you foolish boy." She is advancing on Peeta who I can see is shaking with anger and he is not the only one.

How dare she say such things about us? She doesn't know anything about me. I might not love Peeta but I do care for him and I would never rely on any one else for a meal.

I hadn't noticed in my anger that I had moved towards them and now that I'm closer I see that Mrs. Mellark has picked up a rolling pin. I always knew she beat her kids but never did I realise just how bad she was. If I was angry before I'm furious now. I see her raise the rolling pin and Peeta stands firm in the face of oppression ready to face down her attack without fear. Neither of them have realised I have moved yet, being so caught up in their own argument. As she swings the pin down with all her strength I reach out and block the blow before Peeta can even flinch away.

"WHY YOU LITTLE-" she turns to me in surprise and I use this moment to wrench the pin away and point it at her.

"HOW DARE YOU!" It's my turn to shout now and I let her have it. "What kind of mother beats their own son with a rolling pin?!" I raise the rolling pin as if to strike her, she stumbles back immediately raising a hand in defence and stuttering.

"I... err...I... but?" It seems she is unused to being on this end of the argument with someone else in power, but I see the fear melt away with a new hatred. "Are you going to just stand there, she's your wife!" she says to Peeta, putting all the venom she has into that last word. "Control her!"

"NO!" I say to her and Peeta before anyone can respond, I half expect the Mellark boys to bundle me out the door for attacking their mother but no such attack comes so I continue, "You go to beat him then ask his help, you disgust me, you will never hurt him again, do you hear me?" I pause for her response and when it doesn't come I move closer and shout "DO YOU HEAR ME!" raising my arm again, she stumbles back further and pushes up against the wall, I make out a weak but defiant nod. "You coward do you really think I'm going to hit you, I'm not you!" I say with disgust evident in my voice, I throw the rolling pin behind me without looking and hear it hit the ground and a yep of surprise, I look round to see it narrowly missed Rye, 'Sorry' I mouth and he nods in surprise.

I turn back just in time to see that now I'm unarmed the witch has got her courage back and was about to strike me while my back was turned, I catch her arm before she strikes and push back without letting go so she wobbles unsteadily. She tries to snatch her arm back but I keep a tight grip.

"Only a coward would strike someone when their back was turned" I say with disdain. She looks stunned and scared by my words and actions.

I keep my face masked with anger but slowly I realise what I have done.

I just attacked my new mother- in- law.

What must Peeta think of me? If he ever did love me I'm sure he doesn't now, he probably hates the sight of me, what a great way to start a new marriage; I just knew everything was too good to be true. With this new realisation I throw her hand way from me as if it was on fire, turn and walk out of the bakery leaving the Mellarks silent behind me.

I feel the burn of tears in my eyes, however I fight them and the urge to run as I head to the one place I feel safe, the woods. This must be a record; turning your husband and his family against you in less than a day. Maybe Gale was right, maybe I should have picked him, things would have been so much easier. I wrap my arms around myself and try and walk a little faster without attracting too much attention.

"Katniss!" Peeta is trying to catch up with me. He is probably taking his mothers advice and coming to put me in my place.

I keep walking pretending I didn't hear him when we both know I did. For some reason the thought of facing the disgust in Peeta's eyes is enough to cause the tears to slip from my eyes.

"Katniss wait!" he is running now. I can hear his heavy treads coming up fast behind me. I try and calculate my chances of beating him to the fence; I can't let him see me like this. I round the corner into the quiet seam road between the town and the meadow and break into a run.

I reach the meadow. I can see my escape, the hole in the fence, all I have to do I get a little further. But then I'm pulled to a stop and we stumble and I think we are about to fall but Peeta manages to hold us up. He is faster than I thought, his strong arms wrapped around my waist, holding me to his chest and pin my arms to my side. I struggle but he holds me firm.

"Shh, it's okay. Calm down, it's okay" Peeta whispers in my ear over and over again till I stop fighting him. Then he holds me a few minutes longer to see if I have stopped struggling. I can't believe I'm such a mess, I can't remember the last time I cried like this in front of someone. I can't seem to stop, the tears keep coming and sobs are shaking my body making it harder for me to catch my breath.

Peeta gently turns me to face him, my hands fist in his shirt and Peeta just holds me, letting me cry all my anger out on his shoulder. I don't know how long we stand there in silence, Peeta strokes my hair, most of which has fallen from the braids my Mom did this morning. Eventually I gain control over my emotions enough to break the silence.

"I'm sorry" I whisper barely loud enough for Peeta to hear, he tenses with surprises only to relax and give me a slight squeeze and softly chucking in my ear.

"You have nothing to be sorry for" he says gently. I peek up at him to see him smiling slightly. "No one has ever stood up for me the way you just did and my mother was completely out of order the way she spoke to you. I know my brothers were both impressed. They went straight upstairs after you left to tell Grace and Charlotte." I laugh a little at that and Peeta laughs with me. "Dad said that what you did was something he should have done a long time ago and was sorry that it was you who had to say it. And as for my mother, well she tried to get us do something about you and said we were all ungrateful for not defending her." We then slip back into a comfortable silence as what Peeta has told me sinks in.

"If anyone has to be sorry it should be me" he breaks the silences and I look up surprised. I shake my head and go to tell him he has nothing to be sorry for but he puts a finger on my lips and continues.

"I should have stood by you. I was just so surprised. Mom hasn't hit us since we got bigger than her so I wasn't ready. I never expected you to intervene either, but then you're not the type to back down are you?" he smiles and I don't know how to respond, so I do the only thing I can think of to show him how I feel. I push myself up on my tip toes for the second time today and kiss him gently.


	6. Chapter 5

After our kiss Peeta just holds me close in his arms, protecting me from the world around us. I could happily stay here forever, but I know we can't it since it will be getting dark soon. We are supposed to spend the night at Peeta's. What if he wants to go back?

"I can't go back there" I try to pull back to look at him, however Peeta holds me firm against him.

"No, I won't make you go back there; can we go back to yours?" Peeta asks innocently but we both know the shame that will come from going back to mine, it will say to everyone that his family rejected our union, and me. I think for a moment before answering.

"No" I say softly as I think about our options. I glance at the trees on the other side of the fence, wishing there was somewhere outside of district 12 we could escape to.

But there is. My father's lake, I have never shown it to anyone before but now it feels right, to share it with my husband.

"I know somewhere we could spend the night, away from everything, out there" I nod towards the trees. "It's a bit of a hike but we could make it there before dark and there's a cabin for shelter" I quickly add.

"Sounds good, lead the way," I turn back to him in surprise. I don't know what I expected but I know I didn't expect him to just agree and trust me like that, however he just smiles at me and loosens his grip so I can lead him to the woods.

I slip from his arms and instantly miss them, but he catches my hand and follows me to the fence, where I pause for a moment to check if the electricity is on. When I'm satisfied I let go of Peeta's hand and slip under and watch as Peeta squeezes his larger frame under the fence. As soon as he is back on his feet he captures my hand again and we head into the forest. Before I take us to the lake, I make a quick stop to collect my bow. Peeta gives me a questioning look so I explain that we might need it if we come across any wild animals. He looks a little unsettled at this but doesn't say anything.

We walk in a comfortable silence. I can see Peeta, out of the corner of my eye, taking in the sights of the forest. I expect this if Peeta's first time in the forest; most people wouldn't dare go outside the borders of the district fence as there is too much risk from wild animals and peacekeepers. Even fewer people from town word risk it as they have less need, they can feed themselves without poaching.

After a while of walking in silence, Peeta starts to ask me questions, simple ones like: what is your favourite colour? And how long have I been hunting? Soon I start to ask him some back about the bakery and his life in the town. Talking to Peeta is so much easier than I could ever imagine and I learned so much about him; his favourite colour is sunset orange, his best friend is Delly, he loves to paint, draw and work in the bakery, he is the one who decorates all the cakes in the window that Prim loves so much and never takes sugar in his tea.

I get so caught up in Peeta that we arrive at the lake before I know it. The sun has started to set but we still have plenty of light to settle in before it gets to dark. I watch Peeta's face light up as he sets his eyes on the lake for the first time.

"I can't believe that something this beautiful could be so close to district 12 without any of us ever knowing about it" he stares open mouthed and I can't help but smile at the dreamy look in his eye. "I wish I had my sketch book to try and capture this moment."

"Maybe we could come another time and you could sketch it" I suggest. "I could even teach you to swim in the warmer mouths."

"I'd like that" he pulls me into his arms as he says this and leans in pressing his sweet lips to mine, and for a moment I forget everything and just give in to the pleasure of his lips. Our kiss deepens and I feel him pull me closer, our kiss taking on a new kind of urgency that I hadn't known I was capable of before. My hands creep up to his hair where they grip him and hold him close to me. Peeta responds with a moan and pushes my back up against the nearest tree, his whole body pressed against me.

_It feels as if I'm literally on fire. _I feel the heat of his body, and my lips tingle from his kiss and I never want him to stop. His lips slip from mine and a slight noise of complaint escapes my lips as I instantly miss the taste of him. However, as his lips move down towards my neck, the complaint changes into a moan of pleasure and I tilt my head to give him better access. As I do my eyes flicker open and I see the sun is getting ever closer to setting. Somewhere in the back of my mind I'm partly aware of the fact I need to hunt before it gets too dark if we are to eat tonight but I can't seem to think strait when Peeta's lip are on me.

"Peeta" I try half heartedly to get his attention but his name comes out more as a moan. I try and focus my mind before I try again. "Peeta" this time my voice comes out stronger and I slip my hands from his hair to his shoulder. He seems to understand as his head comes up to look at me, I see his eyes focus as they come to terms with what just happened and he quickly lets go of me and back a pace. I miss his arms instantly and can't help but feel a little rejected by the space he has just put between us.

"I'm so sorry, I don't know what just happened..." he mumbles embarrassed, blushes bright red and runs a hand though his already messed up hair. I smile slightly as I realise why he stepped back. He thought he over stepped the mark and that I was asking him to stop because I didn't want him. I move forward closing the gap between us once again. I place my hand on his chest as a symbol of our union to try and show him I'm angry or unhappy about what just happen and he instantly relaxes at my touch.

"I just wanted to say that its getting dark and I need hunt or we won't be eating tonight" as if on cue his stomach rumbles and he blushes again and nods, clearly still embarrassed by what just happened, so I just press my lips gently to his cheek before picking up my bow that I must of dropped at some point while Peeta was kissing me, and slip off into the wood to hunt.

I slip instantly in to hunting mode and move silently though the trees in search of a rabbit or squirrel that would do nicely for our dinner. I get lucky and about 10 minutes into my hunt I spy a nice rabbit that I catch with ease. As I collect my prize I spot a raspberry bush with a handful of early ripe berries.

I put the rabbit and my bow to one side and start gathering as many ripe berries as I can find. As I do, I think about everything that has happened today, my surprise at the reaping, my anger at Rosa and Peeta's mother and just now my sudden passion with Peeta. I'm not an emotional person, I love my mom and Prim but I never normally let myself get angry like I did today and I have never been as possessive as I was when Rosa tried to claim Peeta, my Peeta, even thinking about it now makes my blood boil, he is mine and no spoilt little brat is going to take him from me. I almost have to physically stop myself from running back to town and tearing that bitch apart, but I remember Peeta and know that I can't leave Peeta here alone, he would get lost trying to find his way back and then I would never see him again. The sudden fear of losing him makes me remember that I left him alone and undefended, what if something found him while I was hunting? He has no weapon; he would only have his strength to defend himself with. I grab the rabbit and shove the berries in my pocket and run back towards the lake as fast as I can.

I burst out of the forest and crash strait into Peeta who just about manages to keep us both upright.

"Are you ok?" we ask in unison. "I'm fine" we say together and I can't help but laugh a little that we seem to be reading each other's minds and I see Peeta must be thinking the same by the smile on his face. He kisses me lightly on the lips and I know everything is fine, my panic before now seems foolish and I'm a little ashamed that I over reacted like I did. Of course Peeta's okay, most wild animals would avoid humans if they can and I'm sure Peeta could handle himself.

"I got a rabbit" I say holding it up to change the subject.

"Great, I managed to get a fire going while you were gone" he smiles and I look past him to see that he has a modest little fire by the cabin that will be just perfect for cooking the rabbit and keeping us warm once the sun sets and the cold night air sets in.

I skin and clean the rabbit before cooking it over the fire while Peeta watches me in silence. I feel strangely at home here with Peeta, away from all those who weren't happy to see us married. I'm almost glad Peeta's mom is such a witch so we can send our first night as a married couple alone together. We eat and chat about everything and nothing.

By the time we have finished it's dark and we lay back. Peeta holds me to his side and we talk as we gaze at the stars. Peeta slowly drifts asleep and I snuggle up close to him and his arms wrap warmly around me, making me feel safer than I can ever remember feeling.

Once again I remember everything that has happened and try and figure out my emotions. I have only really spoken to Peeta today, although I already feel such strong emotions I never knew I was capable of. I can hardly believe I attacked his mother today, and just a few hours ago I had a full on panic attack when I foolishly thought he was in danger.

But the emotion that scares me the most is the passion, that's not me, the way my whole body was on fire at his touch and the way his lip made me feel that I might die if he stopped kissing me. The way I felt today was terrifying and thrilling at the same time. Peeta is perfect, that is the only way to describe him, his kindness and loving nature shines though in everything he says and does, which is why Peeta is more dangerous to me than everyone else in the world. He may do the one thing I promised myself I would never do.

_Fall in love._


	7. Chapter 6

**Sorry everyone for the delay in updating, but hope to be more regular updates from now on.**

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Peeta and I both wake up as the sun starts to rise, both of us being early risers for baking and hunting. We lie there in a blissful silence for a few moments watching the sun rise through the open door of the it can't last. Peeta has to get to work in the bakery and I have to hunt. We walk back hand in hand and I hope that every morning will be as peaceful as this.

I walk Peeta to the hole under the fence. I'm about to say goodbye when Peeta suddenly pulls me to him and locks his lips with mine. All thoughts of goodbyes fade to thoughts of Peeta, his soft warm lip and strong hands holding me kiss deepens and my hands knot into his thick curls, but then all too soon he pulls away gasping.

"I'll see you at midday" he pants, "at the town hall to get the keys to our new place." All I can do is nod and he smiles down at me, gives my lips a quick peck before slipping under the fence and head to town. I stand there breathless for a moment watching him walk glances back and smiles when he catches me watching him. I just blush and quickly hurry into the woods to hunt.

Without Gale my haul isn't as big as it normally is, but I think it probably also has something to do with my thoughts constantly wondering to ones of Peeta. I finally manage to catch four squirrels, one for mom and Prim, one for me and Peeta, and two to trade at the hob.

I stop by my old home first. It seems weird to think of it as my old home when I technically don't have a new home just house is empty so mom must be with a patient and Prim is at school.

We are all expected to go to school from our fifth birthday to our you turn eighteen, boys are sent out to get a job and girls are married off to boys.

I leave the squirrel in the kitchen where I know they will find it and head to the hob.

I trade two kills with Sae for some vegetables and she offers her congratulations.

"So you're a bakers' wife now" she teases. "Doubt we'll be seeing you are around here again. But seriously girly, I'm happy for you. I was worried for a bit you were going to pick Hawthorne. I would have hated to see him break your fire." she pats my cheek softly and continues. "And that boy of yours isn't bad on the I was 40 years younger I-"

"SAE!" I cry in mock horror covering my mouth with my hand to try and hide my smile. "That's my husband you're talking about." At this we both dissolve into laughter.

"That boy's good for you, I don't think I have ever seen you this happy. Now you better get 's nearly noon and you will be wanting to get your new house, so go on home to that cute baker of yours." I blush, say goodbye and head out of the hob to meet up with Peeta outside town hall.

I step out and round the corner of the warehouse known as the hob and almost walk strait into Gale.

The moment I realise who he is I freeze in panic. I know instantly that he is angrier right now than I have ever seen him and now that I'm married to Peeta I don't know what he will do.

To be completely honest I had barely thought of Gale since Peeta removed my blindfold, only really to be glad it was Peeta and not Gale that I was now married to. I'm not sure what it is exactly that I thought would happen, that maybe Gale would just admit defeat and let me live happily ever after with I know him better; he is too used to getting his own way.

We stare at each other in silence for a moment. I briefly wonder what my chances of escaping Gale are.

I know I could never make it to town. He would catch me and I would have to run past him to get there. But maybe I could make it back to the hob, safety in numbers and all that, but then people never get involved in other people's business. I doubt anyone would help me if Gale chased after me. Not that Gale ever shows his violent side to the world. No, he keeps that his dirty little secret and only brings it out when it's too late to escape him.

"We should hunt Catnip, once more for old time's sake. Now that you're a merchant's wife I doubt I'll be seeing you in the forest again. In fact, I'm surprised to see you have lowered yourself to visit the hob" he lunges forward and grabs my arm before I have a chance to react. I yelp in pain as he clamps down hard and starts to drag me round the back of the hob.

"I can't..." I gasp as I try and fight his iron grip, digging my heels into the dirt and scratching at his hand in desperation. "Please... I need to..."

"You need to what!" he spits in my face dragging me to a halt round the far side of the hob, in the shadows where no one ever ventures where we won't be disturbed. "What is it exactly that you need to do? Run off and play house with your little baker boy!" he smacks the back of his hand across my face with so much force I stumble back and would have fallen if it wasn't for the fact that he still holds my harm in his vice like wrenches me back to me feet and I cry in pain as my arm is jarred by his movements.

"What the hell happened yesterday?" He screams in my face. "You were supposed to pick me!" he shakes by my bruised arm and he shouts.

"I ... err... I ... but..." I stutter and stumble unable to focus. I don't know what he wants me to say or do. My eyes are watering from the pain and the only clear thought I have is Peeta. In my head I scream his name, wishing he was here to somehow save me from Peeta is at town hall waiting for me. My stomach twists tightly as I think that he doesn't even know where I am.

"I asked you a question!" I focus back on Gale and try and remember the question he wants me to answer. "What are you going to do to fix this? You are the one who messed up. Now what are you going to do to put this right?"

"I'm ... I'm ... married now" I manage to gasp but I know instantly it's not the answer he wants when his hand comes back to slap my other cheek.

"Stupid bitch! I know you're married. I asked wh-"

"Let her go!" a voice roared from behind me, a voice filled with more anger than even Gale's, but unlike Gale's this one fills me with hope and relief instead of fear.

"Back off baker boy, this is between me and her" Gale growls as Peeta but doesn't take his eyes off me.

"Whether you like it or not she is my wife and you will let her go this instant." Peeta's voice is calm and controlled as I hear him approach us.

"Or what?" Gale challenges and finally drags his gaze from me to Peeta just in time to meet Peeta's fist face on. Peeta's punch is enough to drop Gale to the ground with one loses his grip on my arm and I stumble back into Peeta's protective embrace.

"Stay away from my wife or next time you'll get more than a black eye" Peeta threatens and leads us away back towards town.

Once we reach the relative safety of the town, Peeta pulls me round the back of the bakery where we stand in a little back garden and Peeta just holds me for a only now that I realise I'm trembling and tears are running silently down my face.

"It's okay now, you're safe, and I'm here." Peeta whispers soothingly to me, stroking my hair as I cry into his shirt for the second time in two days. "How badly hurt are you?" He asks softly as my sobs subside.

"Just my face and arm" I whisper into his shirt. He gently leans me back to examine my bruised and tear streaked then rolls up my sleeve to reveal dark bruises already forming from where Gale's hand and held me in place.

"Your arm looks the worst" he states as he pulls my sleeve back down to cover the marks. "You have a bit of a bruise on your left cheek and the others just a bit red." His hand comes up to gently cup my right cheek and despite the burning pain I still feel, I can't help but lean into his touch.

I hate to think what would have happened if Peeta hadn't come when he is always there when I need him, always saves me. As I think of how he saved me I can't help but wonder how he found me.

"How did you know where I was?" My curiosity got the better of me and I ask before I know what I'm doing. I notice the slight blush in his cheeks and drop my eyes wondering if I over stepped the mark, I mean he just saved me and now I'm questioning him about it.

"This is probably going to sound a bit crazy." I look up at his words and see him running his free hand through his hair, his other hand still holding me close to him. "I was standing outside the town hall waiting for you, when I kind of hear you."

"Heard me?" How could he have heard me from the middle of town and I didn't even call out.

"Yeah, but it was sort of in my head. I was just standing there and then it was like I could hear you screaming my name in my head. I didn't really think about it, it was like you were shouting my name and I just ran in the direction I thought your voice was coming from and it lead me to you." He looks down at me with embarrassment in his eyes, knowing that what he just said sounds crazy but at the same time I can't help remembering what I thought when Gale had me captured.

"I did call for you" My words surprise both of us. "What I mean is, when he had me trapped I just remember thinking of you and wishing you were there. I screamed your name in my head but I never thought you would come. I didn't think you would be able to find me." I try to explain what happened and can't help but wonder if Peeta did really hear.

"Do you think that I heard you somehow?" Peeta asks voicing my thoughts. "Maybe it's some kind of Soulmate thing; we just know when one of us is in trouble."

I wonder if what Peeta says could be are never taught much about Soulmates at school, just that they are meant to be together and that when they kiss for the first time there is a golden thread that is said to be their souls binding together forever.

I remember once my dad said that they don't teach about Soulmates because they can't control Soulmates. He said that if more people knew more about Soulmates they would fight harder to find them. He also told me that everyone has a Soulmate but most people never find them as there are in different districts and as travel between districts is forbidden, they can never find each other. As I grew older I realised that this was just another way the capital controls us to make us miserable. It's only now that I realise just how lucky I am to have found my soulmate, my Peeta.


	8. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the Delay**

* * *

Peeta wipes the last of my tears from my bruised cheeks, and smiles softly at me.

"Come on, let's go get our new home," all I can do is nod as he takes me by the arm and leads gently round the front of the bakery. I stop him just before we reach the street, he gives me a questioning look but I just reply by taking my hair out of my braid and pulling it forward in an attempt to hide my swollen cheeks; Peeta nods his understanding and takes my arm again, continuing our trip to the town hall.

"Ahh, Mr. and Mrs. Mellark, we were starting to think you had forgotten us" Mayor Undersee greets us as we enter the town hall.

"Please accept our apologies, Mayor Undersee. We were unfortunately held up on our way here" Peeta says easily winning the mayor over with his display of manners.

"Very well, it happens to the best of us. If you would just follow me we will have your new house sorted in no time." He leads the way into his office and takes a seat behind the desk, indicating for Peeta and I to take the seats in front of him.

"I'm sure you both know how this works. You are automatically assigned a house of the lowest grading scale; however this can be improved accordingly by purchasing upgrades. Of course you don't have to upgrade now, some people prefer to save for their chosen upgrade level first so there is less mess" he explains then waits for our response. Peeta looks at me but I nod to him indicating the decision is his, I personally never having had the chance to save for a future home and if I did I would have saved it for Prim. I also realise that this is something we should have discussed before we came in as I have no idea what Peeta's intentions are on this subject.

"I have the money for the $100 upgrade" Peeta says more to me than mayor Undersee, who from the look I caught out the corner of my eye, is just as surprised as I am. The $100 upgrade is as good as you can get. I have no idea how Peeta has managed to save that much. "I've been saving since I was a kid" he explains a bit embarrassed. "We don't have to take the $100 upgrade if you don't want to, I would be happy to live in the seam with you if that is what you would prefer."

"I don't mind where we live, you decide," I manage to say, still reeling from the thought of so much money. I never thought I would be able to afford the $20 upgrade, let alone the top $100 one. I watch Peeta think about it for a moment before turning to Mayor Undersee with his answer.

"Can we have the $70 upgrade please" he says with a slight smile. The mayor nods, still slightly shocked that a couple half seam could afford the $100 upgrade, and slips form the room mumbling something about paper work and keys. The moment he's gone Peeta turns to me. "Is that ok with you? I was thinking that way we can still upgrade later if we want to and we also have some money now if we need it."

"It's fine with me and that's good thinking, you never know when you might need a bit of extra cash" I say and mentally scold myself. Extra cash, $30 is more money than I have ever had at any one time. However, before I can linger on that thought, the Mayor bustles back in with a set of keys and paper work. Peeta then hands over the $71 cash, the extra $1 so that we can each have our own key. We then sign the paper work and walk out the proud owners of 101 Baker's Drive.

We leave the town hall hand in hand, in a considerably better mood than we arrived. I can't help but laugh a little at the thought of being married to a baker and living down Baker's Drive. Peeta gives me a questioning look and when I explain he too laughs at the coincidence.

"Do you want to get your stuff from your mom's or check out the place first?" Peeta asks. I can't wait to see our new home; however I'm not sure I will want to go out again once we get there.

"We should get our stuff first so we can settle in properly" I decide. "Do you want to get your stuff and I'll get mine and we can meet...?"

"No," Peeta cuts me off to my surprise. "I don't want to let you out of my sight just yet," he says softly bringing a hand to brush my cheek gently. "We can go together and we will be done in no time." I nod and smile. Peeta makes me feel so safe that I had almost forgotten the incident with Gale earlier, but I'm glad he thought of it as I definitely don't want to be caught by Gale alone again today.

Mom and Prim are still out when we get to my now childhood home so I let us in and Peeta helps me pack my few belongings that fit into one back pack and one small carrier bag, then he insists against my protests to take both the bag and back pack as we head to the bakery for Peeta's things.

As we approach I feel my nerves building at the prospect of seeing his mom again after last night's confrontation. Peeta squeezes my hand sensing my nerves.

"Just in and out," he promises as he opens the bakery door. The bell above the door rings and his father looks up from behind the counter and smiles at us.

"Katniss, Peeta, how are you both? Have you got your house sorted yet?" he asked, walking round the counter and rubbing his hands together.

"Yeah, we've just been to the town hall. We got 101 Baker's Drive. Just came back to pick up my stuff and then we're going to go settle in and stuff" Peeta explains and moves to go around his dad to the back of the shop.

"Just wait a minute son" Peeta stops abruptly and I nearly walk into his back as his father puts out an arm to block us. "After you left earlier….well, your mother came back and wasn't very pleased. She went upstairs and started throwing your clothes and stuff out of your room" he pauses to add a sympathetic smile. "She wanted to burn it all but I managed to calm her down and well, it's already bagged up for you. And after she calmed down your brothers and I helped pack up what she missed. I have it all here behind the counter." With this, he moves behind the desk and emerges with 2 black bin bags that I take are full of Peeta's things, which he then hands to Peeta who lets go of my hand to take them. "I was also thinking that maybe you should take a few days off, you know to settle in and get to know each other. Like say a week? You would still get your normal wages of course" he smiles a forced smile.

"By take a few days off you mean keep out of mother's way don't you. Do I even have a job here anymore or should I use this 'holiday' to search for a new one?" Peeta asks calmly, but I can tell he is both hurt and angry by his mother's reaction to our union. I reach out and brush Peeta's hand that is still holding one of the black bags. At my touch he looks around and I watch his face soften. He moves both bags into one hand and reached back to reclaim mine with the other.

"No" Peeta's dad says firmly, reminding us both that he was still here. "At the end of the day this is still my bakery and you are still my son. You will have a job here for as long as you want it, and when I die you will inherit one third of this bakery just as your brothers will. Nothing your mother says or does will change that."

He places a reassuring hand on Peeta's shoulder and looks him strait in the eye. "But I do think it best you give your mom some time to adjust to your new marriage and wife. Take a week off, enjoy your time together and settle into your new home. Oh and before you go" he suddenly turns his back on us and starts putting things in one of the "Mellark's Bakery" bags. He faces us again and presses the bag into my hand as Peeta's are both full. "Just a little wedding gift" I open my mouth to protest at his generosity, however he cuts me off. "No I insist, now run along and go see you your new house."

"Thanks dad," Peeta says before leading out the door. We step out into the sunshine and warmth of District 12. Peeta takes a deep breath and then turns to me with a smile. "Come on, let's go home."

Home. That sounds good, our home, my first home away from mom and Prim, my first home with Peeta. A smile slips into place without me even having to try. I give Peeta hands a light squeeze and we head through town to 101 Baker's Drive, home.

Fifteen minutes later Peeta and I are standing in front of our new house. Two stories high, with a front porch and neat little front garden with a white picket fence surrounding it. It's perfect.

Peeta pushes the little white gate open and gestures me though. "Ladies first" I give him a smile and all but run up the path and step to the front door. An uncharacteristically girly giggle slipped from my lips as he puts his bags down and pulls out his keys. He opens the door and I squeal as he lifts me into his arms.

"Put me down" I gasp.

"Its tradition, I have to carry you over the thresh hold" he laughs as he steps in to our new house with me in his arms. "So Mrs. Mellark, what do you think?"

"I think don't call me that, but the house is great" I say looking round at house.

"Why not? You are Mrs Mellark."

"No, your mother is Mrs. Mellark. I'm not your mother so don't call me that"

"Then what can I call you? Sweetheart?" I pull a face remembering Haymitch's comments during our union "No? Ok, what about honey? Or babe? Or sugar?"

"What about Katniss?" I suggest hopeful to deter him.

"Where's the fun in that?" he whispers as he slowly nuzzles my ear and starts to trail kisses down my neck.

"We should get our bags in" I point out, but move my head towards him to guide his lips to mine anyway.

"And shut the door" he almost moans as his kisses the corner of my mouth; my hands find his hair and tighten holding me to him.

"Knock Knock" a voice calls from over Peeta's shoulder startling both of us so that I nearly fall out of Peeta's arms, however he recovers enough to catch me and put me down safely. "Sorry, am I interrupting something?"

We turn round to face a very unapologetic Haymitch who is grinning at us from the door way.


	9. Chapter 8

"What the hell are you doing here?" I shout, my face heating up with the embarrassment for being caught in such an intimate position.

"Nice to see you too sweetheart," he smiles and invites himself in and starts looking around the hall and poking his head though door, which I assume leads to the living room. "Nice place you got here."

Peeta and I exchange a look and he just shrugs and grabs our bags from the porch and puts them by the front door, closing it behind him.

"So Haymitch", Peeta starts, wrapping his arm round my shoulder as he does. "What brings you here?"

Haymitch ignores Peeta's question and signals to him to be quiet him and continues looking around. We follow him into the living room where there is a comfortable looking sofa and matching arm chair, an open fire place along one wall, a TV in the corner and a nearly empty bookshelf.

Haymitch makes his way over to the fire place, where on the mantle is a simple looking clock that ticks softly and shows that its nearly 3 o'clock. He picks up the clock and shakes it.

"Is everything ok?" Peeta asks, shifting slightly in front of me as if the crazy drunk will turn on us without warning; but again Haymitch ignores him. He opens up the clock and shakes out a little black ball. He drops it to the floor and crushes it under his boot.

"Ok now we can talk" Haymitch smiles and turns to us.

"What was that?" Peeta asks pointing at broken black mess on floor next to Haymitch's boot.

"It was a listening device; Snow has one in every house over the $50 upgrade. But that's not important" Haymitch explains.

"Snow's spying on us? Why? And how did you know it was there?" I ask, wondering if the districts drunk had finally lost it completely.

"Snow spies on everyone. He does it because he can and so he can put stop to any ideas he doesn't like, and I know because I do." He says dropping into our arm chair,

"Okay better question, why are you here telling us?" I'm losing my patience, all I want to do is settle in to my new home with my new husband and Haymitch seems determined to stop us. Yesterday was the first day I even met him. I mean I saw him in the hob getting his alcohol, but I never spoke to him before and now he's here in my house talking about listening devices and presidents invading our privacy.

"That is a better question" Haymitch muses, he then straitens and sobers up. "Okay here's the deal. As you both know Soulmates are rare, you two are the first I have seen in 12 in nearly five years. They used to be much more common but over the years they have become fewer and fewer. Then you two come along, the first pair of Soulmates this year in any of the districts and then to top it all off you have that drama at your union ceremony. The capital lapped it up; you have become stars, so to speak. Don't be surprised if you have reporters knocking on your door any time now."

"Reporters? You're joking." I can't believe what he's saying. "Why would the capital send reporters? Why are they even interested? This is ridicules." I move to get up but Peeta stops me.

"Hear me out." Haymitch insists. I huff and cross my arms and he takes that as a go ahead. "They are interested because the capital doesn't have these union ceremonies; they are just for keeping the districts in line. In the capital, marriage is just for improving status and building alliance. Soulmates in the capital are unheard of. Capital people see this as romantic and old fashioned, they watch for the entertainment and you to give them a good show." He pauses for this to settle in. "What I'm trying to tell you is to be careful, I know what it's like to be in a similar situation and if you don't play your cards right there can be some very serious consequences."

"What do you mean consequences?" Peeta asks quietly. "What is it that we could that might upset them?"

"I mean..." he pauses."You could... what I'm trying to say is..." he struggles to explain and looks down at the floor and takes a deep breath before continuing. "Look what I'm trying to say is I have been there too. It was nearly twenty years ago. I was picked by the most beautiful girl I have seen" his eyes take on a sad dream like look as he continues; "her name was Maysilee Donner. She picked me and of course I accepted her without a second thought. Next thing I know, there this blinding light and I'm being told we're Soulmates. Then this guy grabs my shoulder and punches me square in the face. I hadn't even had the chance to take off her blind fold."

Haymitch chuckles a bit at the memory still looking away from us. "The guy who hit me was her boyfriend. He was convinced she would pick him and wasn't happy when she didn't. We got into a fight and had to be separated by peacekeepers. Maysilee had removed her blindfold halfway though our fight and came to the conclusion that I had started the fight and went to stand by her boyfriend only to be redirected to me."

"But any way, we were Soulmates and soon we were together and Maysilee was always such a kind and gentle person, she couldn't hurt a fly. With our Soulmate bond we started to experience new things, it was like we were connected in some unexplained way. And I got curious so I started to dig around and got hold of some banned books about Soulmates that explained a lot that they don't tell you in school. I also found out that everyone has a Soulmate; it's just that most don't find them, most cant since they are stuck in their district. I was young and in love, I was so happy I thought everyone should be that happy to I started talking to people, telling them what I knew." He stops and puts his head in his hands.

He sat like that for what felt like ages before looking up at us and looking us in the eye before continuing. "I started saying things that shouldn't be said and the capital found out, Snow found out. Next thing I know they are breaking down my door in the middle of the night. Snow was there himself; he said he was there to make an example of me. He said 'I should have just counted my blessings'. I stood with Maysilee behind me. I tried to protect her, but I couldn't, there were too many of them. They took her, took her away to another district and I haven't seen her since."

The silence hangs in the air with Haymitch's last words. Peeta and I exchange a glance, both of us silently imagining ourselves in Haymitch's position. Peeta and I have only really known each other for just over a day and yet I already feel so connected Peeta, I can't imagine life without him. He squeezes me a little closer to him and I instinctively lean closer to him.

"You say they took her to another district. How do you know? How do you know they didn't...?" Peeta leaves the unfinished question hanging in the air.

"How much do you two actually know about Soulmates?" Haymitch asks avoiding Peeta's question.

"My dad told me about everyone having one, and of course there that whole first kiss thing." I answer try to think I just how much I do really know about Soulmates.

"Of course, you're farther bonded with your mother the year before me. And you boy?" Haymitch asks Peeta.

"I don't really know much about it just that really," Peeta answers almost embarrass by his ignorance.

"Well there's a lot more to it than just that. For starters, most Soulmates die very shortly after the death of their Soulmate. You mom, sweetheart, is the strongest woman I know to have lived this long after the death of your father. When you two kissed yesterday, you felt that warm glowing feeling, like you were finally complete right?" he pauses and Peeta and I nod. "That was your souls joining. You are more connected than you can possibly know, and when one Soulmate dies that connection is lost and with it the will to live without it. Your mother must love you and your sister a lot to still be here for you"

I'm suddenly filled with a sense of guilt over my anger at my mom, and understanding for my mom's grief, I make a note in my mind to talk to her about it next time I see her.

"And the connection isn't just a warm fuzzy feeling" Haymitch continues. "With it comes an understanding of each other. You don't even have to be in the same room to know if the other is happy or sad, you just know."

"Earlier today there was an incident" Peeta interrupts and looks to me for permission, I nod and he continues. "Katniss had a run in with an old friend and I swear I heard her voice in my head and I just knew where to find her."

"That explains the cheek" Haymitch nod to me and I blush. "Yes, that was the Soulmate connection. In times of great emotion, fear or anger or even joy, the bond is so strong that your minds can connect and you can hear each other thoughts. Also as part of it, you can find each other anywhere, anytime, no matter how far away. That's how I know Maysilee is still alive. I know that if I was to just keep walking that way" he points out through the wall to the left, "I would find her."

"Why don't you? Why don't you break out of here and go to her?" Peeta asks.

"Snow made it quite clear that if I ever tried she wouldn't just be moved to another district, she would be moved to the capital dungeons and I can't do that to her. That's what Snow does, he punishes the people you love for the things that you do and through the Soulmate bond I would feel every bit of pain he put her though and I can't do that." Haymitch then stands up and starts to walk towards the door. "That's enough for today. There is still a bit more to the whole Soulmate bond thing, but I can't teach any more today. Just remember what I said and I'll probably drop by again at some point."

"Haymitch" Peeta calls out just before he walks out the front door. "Thank you, for warning us" Haymitch just nods and then leaves shutting the door behind him.

Peeta silently turns to me and wraps his arms around me. We stand there in silence, thinking about everything Haymitch said. My stomach growls, bringing us out of our thoughts.

"Come on, let's go find the kitchen" Peeta smiles and I blush. He leads me down the hall where we find the kitchen and starts looking though the cupboards.

"I caught a squirrel earlier" I'd almost forgotten about it but thoughts of dinner reminded me and I go and get it from my bag in the hall.

Together we make a squirrel stew, which we eat with some of the bread that Peeta's dad gave us. After dinner we look round our new house. I can't believe how big it is. You could fit my whole house in here several times and still have room. There are three bedrooms, a massive bathroom upstairs and a toilet downstairs, there is a dining room next to the kitchen, a study, a basement and a staircase that leads up to an open attic space. I keep waiting to wake up and find that it's all a dream.

"I think I'm going to get lost in here" I say to Peeta as we walk down the stairs from the attic space.

"I'll find you if you do" we reach the landing and Peeta pulls me into his arms and presses his lips to mine. It starts soft and gentle but soon that's not enough, my hands find his hair and he pushes me against the nearest wall. He moans my name but his lips are still glued to mine, then I hear it again but not with my ears. I have never felt more connected to him than I do now and I call to him, begging him for something. I need something. More, I need more of Peeta. He pulls away suddenly and looks me strait in the eye asking a silent question. I nod and he backs away slowly taking me with him, leading me to the closest bedroom.

We spend the first night in our new home wrapped in each other's arms, and that's when I realise the true strength of our bond.


End file.
